Walmart 11w globes and Cree 9w globes for test comparison

hyroot

hyroot

Well-Known Member
Abiqua said:
Anyone have a list of potential types of reflectors including the reptile reflector suggestion? I couldn't find one yet?

Grazie!
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you can get clamp lights from home deps. That's what tags took measurements with. But white reptile reflectors would be better but cost more. They would probably help produce higher par. So worth it.
 
SupraSPL

SupraSPL

Well-Known Member
Yes we have 4 DIY modules and in the process of adding 8 more so it should total ~600W flower + 100W veg. But it will be a lot of work to build 8 more so it will be awhile. The driver boards are all assembled (24) constant current drivers ~700mA 25W.

Any particular reason you are going with 12v? In my experience, surprisingly the conversion from 120v AC down to 12v DC is rarely better than 75% efficient and then there are more losses going from constant voltage DC to constant current DC. AC constant current drivers on the other hand can occasionally achieve 90% efficiency (85-88% is common) in one step 120v AC constant voltage -> DC constant current and they are cheap. Another problem with 12v is that you are limited to very short strings otherwise you need to step the voltage up which a less efficient process than stepping down.

Messing around with LEDs is addictive you might end with stuff like this in your kitchen.
DSC06837a.jpg
 
SupraSPL

SupraSPL

Well-Known Member
Checked into the Vero light bars you mentioned. 110-140lm/watt now that is serious progress. The aforementioned Cree TW is only 60lm/watt which is on par with compact fluoros.
 
MrFlux

MrFlux

Well-Known Member
Abiqua said:
I want do Bridgelux vero Light bars. 24" bars per 1x2, each Vero powered by a Meanwell LDD and my power supply. I just found out my PS2 [thats a mofo'in Playstation2] Power Supply does 8A @ 12v, fawk yeah!
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What vero size are you thinking about?
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
SupraSPL said:
Yes we have 4 DIY modules and in the process of adding 8 more so it should total ~600W flower + 100W veg. But it will be a lot of work to build 8 more so it will be awhile. The driver boards are all assembled (24) constant current drivers ~700mA 25W.

Any particular reason you are going with 12v? In my experience, surprisingly the conversion from 120v AC down to 12v DC is rarely better than 75% efficient and then there are more losses going from constant voltage DC to constant current DC. AC constant current drivers on the other hand can occasionally achieve 90% efficiency (85-88% is common) in one step 120v AC constant voltage -> DC constant current and they are cheap. Another problem with 12v is that you are limited to very short strings otherwise you need to step the voltage up which a less efficient process than stepping down.

Messing around with LEDs is addictive you might end with stuff like this in your kitchen.
View attachment 2884380
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Mainly price, which is free, because I have the power supply.

When I put everything together, a meanwell PLP series power supply was $19 + $7 for each LDD and I could run at least 4 with this supply.

The only AC driver that was in my price range was the LPN-60's? and @$20 apiece I would need one for each Vero [13] and that wasn't very cost effective.

So efficiency may be lost, but the diodes are far more efficient that LED bulbs. I am definitely open to suggestions!!!!!


And.....I barely have the equipment to mount up 2 to 3 of these vero's on 12" of heatsinkusa stock, let alone 50 separate LEDS. Soldering up all those diodes for me personally, made me pause on using 3 and 5w stars.
 
MrFlux

MrFlux

Well-Known Member
Abiqua said:
The only AC driver that was in my price range was the LPN-60's? and @$20 apiece I would need one for each Vero [13] and that wasn't very cost effective.

So efficiency may be lost, but the diodes are far more efficient that LED bulbs. I am definitely open to suggestions!!!!!
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My suggestion: A smaller Vero 10 needs 350 mA and can use a cheap driver for 1W LEDs. For example with this one you string together four Vero 10's. This would be a lot more efficient then going from 110 to 12 to 27V. For heatsinking you could then use simple alumium profile from the hardware store, this would already be a lot better than how LED bulbs are cooled.
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
hyroot said:
you can get clamp lights from home deps. That's what tags took measurements with. But white reptile reflectors would be better but cost more. They would probably help produce higher par. So worth it.
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I found this hoodie, this afternoon. Work in progress now. Hopefully done this evening.
 

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Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
MrFlux said:
My suggestion: A smaller Vero 10 needs 350 mA and can use a cheap driver for 1W LEDs. For example with this one you string together four Vero 10's. This would be a lot more efficient then going from 110 to 12 to 27V. For heatsinking you could then use simple alumium profile from the hardware store, this would already be a lot better than how LED bulbs are cooled.
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I will have to take a look at the 10's, in all honesty I have brushed over them. But the 27v is at the forward test @500ma, I would actually be running them @2x that, which will rise the voltage up to about 31.7+v, according to the datasheet, anyways.

I have used the aluminum and have wavered on it. I am cheap, but I still would like a setup that can be left for a while, with no thinking on my part, while gone, hopefully. So the bigger heatsinks and fans give me peace of mind. 4" sink @HSUSA is like $1.09 an inch and I have tens of fans to use. The aluminum seems to be hit and miss and I have looked into it, up and down, for a while, [aka Steve's LED's] even thought about running the channel......The meanwell's LDD's are $7, so they are cheap as shit. Electrical efficiency sometimes is overcome by practical efficiency, in the case of 13's, even with my terrible soldering, I could slap bar after bar together, some in 5 minutes.

I thought I had put a lot of thought into it lmao, other than electrical efficiency. But I must admit, I am very green in that area, but learning and still contemplating what your are saying! No doubt, Mr. Flux! Thanks for bringing up your take, fuck yeah!
 
MrFlux

MrFlux

Well-Known Member
Looking forward to your build with the vero's. A heads-up about the Meanwell LDD, seeing these are step down converters they will not go from 12V to the 31V you need. The output voltage is always at least 3V lower than the input voltage.
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
MrFlux said:
Looking forward to your build with the vero's. A heads-up about the Meanwell LDD, seeing these are step down converters they will not go from 12V to the 31V you need. The output voltage is always at least 3V lower than the input voltage.
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Well its probably on hold, I am simply tired of fawkin' around with what I want. Rats on the step downs, that went over my head weeks ago, but I didn't even look, mainly because they input up to 51v's, but I can see a problem with 12v's and 30 volts in a step down circuit.

I think I am going to bone up on building pcb drivers. I want something flexible, but repeatable. My electronics is limited and ever growing, but its seems entirely possible to build DIY drivers with the right parts and knowledge of theory [which mine again.... sucks ass.....] [Step-ups, fly-backs?]

I like the aluminum idea, Home Depot, has it dirt cheap, its just that with lack of experience and the reading that is out there, doesn't lead to confidence down that path.

I might go back to the Bridgelux RS chips. I can run two of them in a series on one LPC-80 or whatever the closest incarnation to 100watts is, with that driver line-up. Little more expensive, but still 125watts/lumen, won't have to overdrive them, but they can still handle a bit....
 
SupraSPL

SupraSPL

Well-Known Member
I tested these drivers at 88%. The vF range is ~25-50 so max dissipation is ~30w @ .62A. I havent tested the 1A version but it has similar components. There are lots of .3A - .35A drivers in the 75-80% range and they are very cheap $2-3 each.
 
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